Disposable surgical fabrics for masks, gowns, drapes, towels, and the like are well-known in the art. In order for such fabrics to be acceptable in surgical environments, the fabrics should have good electrical conductivity to prevent static electricity build-up and associated sparking, alcohol repellency, strength, and long shelf-life. To sterilize garments made from such fabrics, it is known to seal the garments within plastic containers and subject the sealed containers to gamma or ionizing radiation. However, it is known that such radiation treatment detrimentally affects the above-enumerated physical properties as well as the odor characteristics of the material.
To avoid the detrimental effects of the radiation on the physical properties of the fabric, it is known to add radiation stabilizing agents to the fabric during manufacture. These stabilizing agents, however, typically do not inhibit the radiation treatment from imparting an offensive odor to the fabric. One example of a radiation treated fabric which has a reduced odor level compared to unstabilized and stabilized fabrics known in the art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,666 (hereinafter "the '666 patent"), assigned to Kimberly-Clark Corporation, the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. The '666 patent discloses fabrics stabilized using a long chain aliphatic ester of a 3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzoic acid. This stabilizer permits sterilization of the fabric using ionizing radiation without breakdown of the physical characteristics of the fabric such as conductivity, strength, and repellency. Experience has shown that fabrics treated in accordance with the '666 patent show a minimal strength loss during sterilization and in post-irradiation storage. These fabrics also have a reduced odor level as compared to unstabilized or typical stabilized fabrics known in the art. However, such fabrics still have an odor of a level which is sufficiently noticeable so as to desire improvement.
One attempt in the art to reduce the noticeable odor of fabrics treated in accordance with the '666 patent has been to further include an odor mask such as Polyiff 15086-00159 Baby Powder, available from International Flavors and Fragrances, Inc., Hazlet, N.J. The addition of such an odor mask has provided some improvement in the odor level, but such fabrics still have objectionable odor levels with a noticeable rise in odor level about a month after treatment. Therefore, a need exists for a disposable surgical fabric which may be sterilized with ionizing radiation without experiencing a loss of physical properties and without developing an objectionable odor.